Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-05-20

How the Hand Games of the shoshones
and Bannochs Is Played.

How the Hand Games of the shoshones
and Bannocks Is Played.
| The Shoshones and Bannocks, on the
Shoshone reservation, in Idaho, have,
like most Indians, fondness for gam
bling. To an observer the "hand
game, so common among these In
dams, would seem more like recrea-
ton than a propensity for gambling,
for no matter how interesting the game
may be good humor invariably prevails.
A party of Shoshones and Bannocks
were encamped near the station this af-
ternoon, five OF whom-two men and
three squaws-were deeply engrossed
in the 'hand game" After half an
hours close attention l managed to OBJ
tain fair idea of the game. The two
men were partners, and sat facing their
opponents, the three squaws. In front
OF each of the opposing sides was a
pile OF twenty small sticks, to be used
as counters. and in the center of the
space intervening was the money, some
three or four dollars. Two well-pol-
ished pieces of convex-shaped bone, as
large as lead pencil in the largest
part and possibly three inches in length,
well wrapped with cord or sinew
for an inch or more in the center and
two pieces of the same dimensions I'M
wrapped, or presenting the white sur
face only, constituted the gambling
outfit Two of the three squaws grasped
wrapped and unwrapped bone, one in
each hand, and, together with the third
squaw, began moving their hands rap
idly from side to side, describing a half
circle, and accompanying the motion
with peculiar nasal humming. The
men were now all attention. it being
their duty, it seems, to guess which
hand of either of the three squaws con-
tanned the white bone. Whenever the
guesser lost one stick from his joint pile
OF twenty was transferred to the pile in
front of the squaws, aud when he won
the bones, together with one of the
sticks, Immediately passed into his pos
session. AS soon as his partner was
equally successful, it became the mems
turn to hold the bones. The actions of
the two men now were slightly dissm-
liar to those gone through by the three
squaws. The bones were held one in
each hand as had been done by their OPP
ponents, but, instead of swinging the
hands back and forth, they were placed
under the arms, accompanied by an up
and down motion of the body and the
same peculiar humming. When
squaw made an unlucky guess she would
pay the usual forfeit, and the man. by
deXterous movement, would throw both
bones a short distance in the air, show
ing which hand held the corded and
which the plain bone. Then changing
the bones from hand to hand beneath
the folds of his blanket or behind his
back, his maneuvers were continued
until the bones passed out of his pos
session. And so the game progressed,
first one side holding the bones and
then the other. AS the bones were
changed from hand to hand beneath the
blanket or behind the back, no effort
being made to cheat, and lucky guess
er being the only requirement of a sue
0osolul Pidyei' lHe gaines were always
of indefinite duration, this one in par
ticular lasting several hours. Twas I'M
able to find out precisely what part the
third squaw took in the game, for at
no time did l discover the bones in her
possession, but as. the hands of each of
the three squaws were held close to-
gether and in the swaying motion often
came in close proximity to those of the
squaw sitting next, it is probable that
the third squaw was used to mislead the
men, whom, it would appear, were re-
garded as the more skilful players
Cor. Philadelphia Times.